Be patient and gentle with yourself.
Another daily battle for a perfectionist.
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Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
And who knows?
Do you have core verses that seem to pop up repeatedly the course of your lifetime? Do you have any verses that the Lord speaks to you time and time again? Do you have life passages that guide, comfort or challenge you that you continually reflect on through all seasons?
Here is one of mine: Esther 4:14
“…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
In summary, “Esther becomes a Queen in the harem of King Ahasuerus and is used by God to deliver the Jews from a plot to annihilate them. Esther is a story of courage, faithfulness and victory that points to Christ” (Paul Leavenworth). I love reading the story of Esther for just these reasons.
I find that I often question why I am in certain locations, situations, relationships, etc. But the Lord uses Esther’s story to remind me that He is in control and has orchestrated these things. He is leading me on a journey that even I am unable to dream for myself.
When the Lord opens doors to opportunities, I eagerly accept the new challenge. But once it becomes hard or difficult, I may tend to ask God why He placed me there. And He answers, “…and who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?” He gently reminds me over and over through His scripture that I have influence and resources, and I should seize the present opportunities to speak truth and be a light because it could be the very reason I am there.
And then I hear God chuckle. He smiles at me and says, “Sarah, ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is. 55:9)’. There is more going on than you see.”
I'm learning to see and live the implications of that.
So whether you’re a student, fast food employee, CEO, Mom or a combination of these roles, the Lord is pursuing you. You have influence, and you have opportunity in the time you have been given, even now in your current role(s).
Your relationship with God is precious, as is the time He has given you. What is He speaking to you? What are your core life passages? These passages that repeat themselves in your life are probably related to your gifts and calling. I’d encourage you to take some time to explore this a bit more.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.
Here is one of mine: Esther 4:14
“…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
In summary, “Esther becomes a Queen in the harem of King Ahasuerus and is used by God to deliver the Jews from a plot to annihilate them. Esther is a story of courage, faithfulness and victory that points to Christ” (Paul Leavenworth). I love reading the story of Esther for just these reasons.
I find that I often question why I am in certain locations, situations, relationships, etc. But the Lord uses Esther’s story to remind me that He is in control and has orchestrated these things. He is leading me on a journey that even I am unable to dream for myself.
When the Lord opens doors to opportunities, I eagerly accept the new challenge. But once it becomes hard or difficult, I may tend to ask God why He placed me there. And He answers, “…and who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?” He gently reminds me over and over through His scripture that I have influence and resources, and I should seize the present opportunities to speak truth and be a light because it could be the very reason I am there.
And then I hear God chuckle. He smiles at me and says, “Sarah, ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is. 55:9)’. There is more going on than you see.”
I'm learning to see and live the implications of that.
So whether you’re a student, fast food employee, CEO, Mom or a combination of these roles, the Lord is pursuing you. You have influence, and you have opportunity in the time you have been given, even now in your current role(s).
Your relationship with God is precious, as is the time He has given you. What is He speaking to you? What are your core life passages? These passages that repeat themselves in your life are probably related to your gifts and calling. I’d encourage you to take some time to explore this a bit more.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.
Monday, 1 August 2011
.:.Prince Charming.:.
Disney got it wrong. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m a huge fan of Disney. I’m in my early twenties and still watch the movies from my childhood every once in a while. Alright, I confess, it’s more often than that. In doing so however, I’ve realized that they’ve done the romance world an injustice.
Prince Charming. He is an almost silent character and therein is the oxymoron.
Prince: A status of nobility, honor and respect.
To charm: The power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration. (Who/what is charm attracting anyways?!)
Looks can be charming, from cottage settings to handsome men; we can’t deny that Disney overflows with men of healthy builds. But charm is also something that falls under rhetoric; an art adopted by many salesmen and salesladies.
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain…” Proverbs 21:35
Deceitful: Deliberately misleading others, typically on a habitual basis.
I don’t know about you, but charming, by looks or speech, is not a character trait that defines my ideal man. Nor is charming how I want to be described. Charm is deceitful. Charm is misleading. We are both of us, men and women, co-heirs with Christ, as we are adopted by the King. This gives us the inherited titles of Princes and Princesses. How we live matters. Let’s replace charm with character of integrity.
Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Truly, integrity is how a princess and prince should be defined. Perhaps Disney didn't follow this path because “Prince Integrity” just didn’t have a charming ring to it...
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.:.
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